Sport

David Brown hopes Looking Good can live up to her name in Newmarket opener

LOOKING GOOD can live up to her name in the opening race at Newmarket today - and book her place at next month's Royal Ascot meeting.

Trainer David Brown has a high opinion of this juvenile daughter of Makfi and is considering running her in the Albany Stakes at the Royal meeting, provided she can break her maiden in the meantime. There is plenty riding on her in today's opening contest.

On her debut at Sandown last week, Looking Good made her debut and, after amazing Brown with how green she ran after doing everything so professionally at home, finished fifth, staying on strongly inside the final furlong.

That outing should have sharpened-up Looking Good and put her on the ball. Brown believes her to be a high-class filly. She is napped to prove it in the Countryside Alliance Foundation Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

Jamie Spencer, pictured, rides in the colours of Qatar Racing.

Spencer will also be aboard Hydrogen in the Lloyds Bank Commercial Maiden Stakes. The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained colt is hardly a household name, given that he has never raced before, but he has already made headlines in a different bloodstock sphere, having made a remarkable 2.5m guineas as a yearling.

The son of Galileo, who never made it to the racecourse as a juvenile after a minor setback, boasts future entries in the English and Irish Derbys. Given those fancy engagements, not to mention the hefty purchase tag around his neck, it is to be hoped that Hydrogen can pass this initial test with flying colours.

Cloudscape deserves another chance in the Lloyds Bank Commercial Supporting Your Business Handicap.

John Gosden's charge created a good impression when winning a handicap here last month, but failed to fulfil that promise on quicker ground on the same course four weeks ago in Listed company. He is capable of better and is selected to show it this afternoon.

Paul Hanagan teams up with his old boss Richard Fahey by riding two runners for the Malton trainer. Majestic Moon (3.40), a course and distance winner last season, and Flycatcher (4.50), who is likely to enjoy this straight mile more than when tackling Thirsk's turning track last time, both have fighting chances.

At Catterick's evening programme, Keep It Dark makes his second appearance of the week in the £10,000 Anne And Tony's 30th Wedding Anniversary Handicap.

Trained at Norton by Tony Coyle for North Yorkshire owner Noel Hetherton, Keep It Dark has won two of his last four starts, most recently at Redcar on Tuesday. A 6lb penalty for that success pushes his weight beyond the 10st barrier tonight, but he is in such excellent heart at present that he can not be dismissed lightly.

Josh Quinn, teenage son for stalwart jockey Jimmy Quinn, is reunited with Fathom Five in the Yorkshire-outdoors.co.uk Adventure Activities Apprentice Handicap.

Young Quinn scored on Shaun Harris's sprinter at Yarmouth and has since finished third on him at Ayr. The partnership can click again here in a wide-open race.

Lily Moreton (7.10), who showed plenty of promise when runner-up at Thirsk on her debut, and Next Door (7.40), who should have benefited from last month's comeback outing, are two others worth noting on Catterick's six-race card.